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270 Southwestern Historical Quarterlythese tierces had the stamp of approval of the meat inspectionboard, however, again brings up the question "how effectivewere Kirby Smith's staff officers?" Certainly there was inefficiencyin the supervising of the beef packing project.Major Thomas' last letter to Major Reid, discussing the pro-moting and relieving of Hill and Callaway, indicates that con-siderable petty political activity and undermining of rivals' posi-tions were occurring in the commissary services of the Confed-erate Southwest. Such conditions frequently develop betweenmembers of military staffs and they serve to hamstring the effortsof the officers involved. Yet petty jealousies and personality clashescould not be entirely suppressed for the good of the war effort.In the beef packing experiment, Kirby Smith's commissaryofficers deserve credit for laying a good plan. But, in theirbungling efforts to put such a plan into operation, they must beadjudged failures.